There Is a Loyal Minority

 

2/02/2019

Romans 11:1-24 (NLT)

Synopsis:

• So, does this talk of rejection mean that God is fed up with us Jews? Hardly! Remember that I, the one writing these words, am an Israelite. So I’m not talking about repudiation.
• God has too much invested in Israel to just wash His hands of us.
• Do you remember the time when Elijah was agonizing over this same Israel and complained to God that he was the only one left who still believed in God?
• And God answered, “Don’t be so hasty in your assessment, I still have seven thousand who have remained loyal to me.”
• It’s the same today. There are probably many more than you would think, who are fiercely loyal to God.
• They are holding on, not because of what they will get out of it, but because they are convince of God’s grace and purpose in choosing them.
• When Israel tried to get right with God on their own, pursuing their own self-interests, she didn’t succeed.
• Those who let God pursue His interest them, received His stamp of legitimacy. All the others became thick-skinned and hard-hearted toward God.
• So the question is, “Is Israel out of the loop for good?” The answer is a hearty “No!”
• Ironically, when some walked out on God, they left the door open for non-Jews, and the outsiders started walking in.
• When a worldwide movement of outsiders began coming to God, some of those who had left began to wonder if maybe they had walked out on a good thing. Just imagine the effect of their homecoming!
• Now if the first thing these hard-hearted Jews did brought about an influx of outsiders, their recovery is going to set off greater spectacle.
• Even though what they did was wrong, it turned out to be good for you. Think what will happen when they get it right!
• Behind all this action there has been the holy, God-planted and God-tended root. If the primary root is holy, then there is bound to be some holy fruit.
• The branches as it were, that were not producing what God wanted, He pruned off and grafted some wild shoots… you were those wild shoots.
• Just because you were grafted in, you have nothing to crow about. Remember, you are being fed by the root, not the other way around.
• Of course it is possible that you will get all cocky and brag about your grafting in where others had been pruned. Don’t do it!
• The only reason you are on God’s tree is because your graft “took” when you believed in God’s forgiveness and mercy.
• If God didn’t think twice about taking His pruning shears to the natural, dead wood, why would He hesitate over you.
• Make sure you stay alert to these qualities of gentle kindness and ruthless severity that exist side by side in God.
• Don’t presume upon this gentleness with you as a grafted shoot. The moment you become deadwood, you’re off the branch.
• Don’t go feeling superior to those pruned branches on the ground. Some with only a spark of life could get grafted back in.
• Just be glad you’re on the tree, and hope for the best for the others.

 

Reaction:

There was a loyal minority back in the day and there is a loyal minority today. But today, there is also a bit of cockiness among the Christian community that says, “The Jewish nation was rejected by God when they had Jesus crucified.” Or they even point out that some Christian groups are nothing more than cults. “We have the unadulterated Truth, and the rest of you are deviating from that Truth.”

Paul add this warning:

“Don’t presume upon this gentleness with you as a grafted shoot. The moment you become deadwood, you’re off the branch.

Don’t go feeling superior to those pruned branches on the ground. Some with only a spark of life could get grafted back in.

Just be glad you’re on the tree, and hope for the best for the others.”

I think that I would rather be in the faithful minority than to be in the hardhearted majority that seeks to divide God’s people up, determined by their outward appearances.

But then, if we don’t make any kind of judgments of people, how can we decide who are “Closet Christians” and who are fake?

I would ask in return, “What difference does it make? That is for God to determine, not us. We have an obligation to treat all people as Jesus would, showing kindness and love.

Take a look at what Jesus did for the non-Jews of His day;

He healed the Centurion’s daughter

“Love your enemies,” he taught, “Do good to those who hate you.”

He cast the demons out of the naked man of Gadara

He witnessed to and offered salvation to the Samaritan woman

He prayed for you and me long before we were even born, “Father, I wish above all things that all men would come to know and love You as I do.”

“Feed and clothe the homeless,” he told us, “Take care of the widows and orphans.” And, “Visit and encourage those in prison.”

In the Great Day of Judgment these are some of the things for which Christians will be held accountable. These are some of the important choices which we have some control over.

I have heard people comment at seeing homeless people, “There, but for the grace of God, am I.” I’m sure most have meant well, but it does smack a little at pomposity. A little like the illustration that Paul used of the newly grafted branch looking down on the newly pruned branch, saying, “Too bad, you blew it and now you’ve made room for me on the Tree.”

I would remind all of us to not get “cocky” in our position in life, we may be forced into nothingness as was Job.